Paul Strelzin was remembered Thursday as a man who could make people laugh, who always stood up for what was right, and, most importantly, as a man who made everyone else around him feel important.

Hundreds of El Pasoans shared tears, laughter and stories of the man affectionately known as "The Mouth" as he was laid to rest Thursday morning at Memory Gardens of the Valley Cemetery in Santa Teresa.

"He never made anyone feel less than anyone else," said Nancy Valdez, an educator who worked with Strelzin for close to 25 years. "Everyone was equal. Custodians were equal; cafeteria workers were equal. It did not matter what you did, he cared about them. He was a great man."

REPORTER

Victor Martinez

Strelzin, who was the principal at H.E. Charles Middle School, Lincoln Middle School and Bowie High School, died in his sleep April 26. He was 75.

After the playing of taps, Darlyne Strelzin, Strelzin's wife of 44 years, received an American flag while family and friends looked on.

The Brooklyn native, who served his country in the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment, worked as a public address announcer for the El Paso Diablos baseball team, the El Paso Buzzards hockey team and at the University of Texas at El Paso.

He was also a radio host for a short time.

Paul Strelzin, right, and his daughter, Laura. (Times file photo)

"The best thing people can do is not remember him behind that microphone but remember him as an advocate for those who could not advocate for themselves," said Ray Adauto, a longtime friend who also worked as public address announcer. "Paul used the bully pulpit in order to help those who he thought really needed help. He was convinced that El Paso was a great place to be. He wanted equality for everyone in this community."

While principal at Bowie, Strelzin went toe-to-toe with the Border Patrol when many of his students and faculty were being harassed by agents

"He was very upset about that," Valdez said. "The Border Patrol would come on campus and stop the kids and the employees. It wasn't right, and he stood up and said so."

Strelzin, who moved to El Paso in 1967 and began teaching in the El Paso Independent School District, fully embraced his adopted hometown.

"My dad loved El Paso, its people and all that it stood for," said Laura Strelzin, one of his three daughters. "He would have been so pleased to see all the showering of love for him, because that's all he ever gave to others."

Laura Strelzin smiled as Mariachi Cuauhtemoc performed at her father's funeral.

"Selflessly, we would love to have him here with us but just the fact that it is such a celebration, he would have liked it," she said. "He was such a jokester full of life and laughter. He would have enjoyed the mariachis and all the good stories being told about him."

He is also survived by his wife and by daughters Sandra Strelzin Lewis and Sara McCleskey.

"I'm going to remember his love for humanity, his big laugh and the way he would always look at the positive," said Frank Diamos, who was the student activities director at Lincoln Middle School with Strelzin. "When he didn't see good in something, he was willing to fight and he would fight hard -- he didn't care who it was against."

Norma Cadena, his secretary for 10 years at H.E. Charles and Lincoln, said Strelzin was always enthusiastic about starting a new day.

"Just walking into the office he would fire everybody up," she said. "Plus, you never knew what your day was going to be like. He kept it interesting."

Cadena said her former boss would also help anyone in need.

"One year, there was a huge freeze and there was a student's family who had their electricity turned off," she said. "So what did he do? He got into his truck, drove to the electric company and paid their bill. He made sure everyone was taken care of."

Joan Luther, a registrar at Lincoln Middle School for five years, called her time working with Strelzin the best years of her working life.

"He looked so intimidating, but he was just a big teddy bear," she said. "He motivated everybody he met."

One of those people is Sylvia Villagrana, whose husband, Gilberto, was Strelzin's head custodian at Charles, Lincoln and Bowie.

"If it wasn't for him, I would not be where I am today," she said. "First he gave my husband an opportunity to become a custodian, then he gave me the opportunity to be a paraprofessional."

Villagrana is now a special education teacher at Western Hills Elementary.

"He taught me to appreciate people for who they are," she said. "Just watching him and how he treated other people, especially the special education students, inspired me. He would get mad if they were mistreated. He made sure they were treated with respect."

Adauto said Strelzin did so much for El Paso.

"Paul was much more than just an educator," he said. "He was much more than just a personality, and people need to remember that. He was a symbol of El Paso. He mentored a lot of us. He made it real hard for a lot of us to follow him, especially behind the PA. He always loved Brooklyn, but El Paso is where his heart was."

Victor R. Martinez may be reached at vmartinez@elpasotimes.com; 546-6128. Follow him on Twitter @vrmart